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Check out Steve Biddulph's excellent introduction Raising Boys Why Boys are Different - And How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-balanced Men Understanding Men Issues for men and women, including Bringing up Boys Dads and Sons New website from the government advising Dads how they can support their sons' learning. Includes a three part journey through the best educational sites available on the net today set up as a game with racing cars, and the chequered flag! More games to play together (I couldn't figure out how to play these but then - I'm not a Dad!!) plus information about English, Maths and Science Self-esteem for Boys Fathers and Fatherhood in Britainan overview of research and demographic analysis by the Family Policy Studies Centre. The study looked at who today's fathers are, their role as breadwinners and in family life, non-resident fathers, fatherhood and the law, and policies Manhood Online The Australian website set up by Steve Biddulph. You can read the articles and posts without having to become a members. The logo has an interesting story. When they're just not listening! More websites by fathers for fathers Fathers Direct UK Home Dad UK The Slow Lane for stay-at-home dads and main carer dads Fathers World Where dads live, work and connect (and have some annoying popup ads!) See also our page for Father's Day Check out Tim Kahn's views on the FathersDirect website (but you'll have to sign in first) Circumcision NORM-UK Dr Warren's website provides useful medical facts for parents See also Mothers against Circumcision   The Challenge of ... Raising Boys (and being a male parent) Sign up to keep in touch with Motherwise UK. Email:     Not just blue bootees, then... ...according to Miriam Stoppard in the new revised edition of the Complete Baby and Childcare Gender is an important factor affecting development. Boys and girls have different strengths and will develop differently, whether physically, intellectually or socially. The pace of a child's development is affected by many things and gender is one of them; boys and girls develop according to different "timetables". The Complete Baby and Childcare has a section for testing the physical and social development of your baby and pre-schooler with different tests for boys and girls,     Boys and reading - ask the experts     Persuading boys to read more books has been the chagrin of the publishing industry for a long time. Books just aren't as cool or exciting as Playstations and football, or are they? Alan Gibbons is not only the father of four children and a primary school teacher, but his book Shadow of the Minotaur won the Blue Peter Book Award, voted by children as 'The Book I Couldn't Put Down'. Here he tells us his ideas about 'books for boys'.     Spiritual Parenting     Find information and support in raising kind, honorable children who remain connected to their spirit and their family. Website by Mimi Dee (as seen on Oprah) (Spiritual parenting is not limited to any one religion's teachings but rather is an authentic, honest way of interacting with our children day to day.)     Mimi's latest book Busy but Balanced An extract : Soulful Fatherhood including the Five 'p's of Fatherhood     Boys will be boys?     Well, yes...and no. It's true that testostrone makes boys more aggressive but it's also true that they are not prisoners of their biology. There are ways other than fists to channel the need for action. "We can search for ways to celebrate our boys' energy and channel it into positive and productive activities." "It's time to rethink the merits of our old-fashioned male archetypes -- the distant 'warrior,' the 'lone adventurer,' the 'fearless hero' -- and reconsider what we really want from our boys and men... "...What we really want is for our boys to become strong, authentic individuals, to become capable both of acting heroically and of maintaining strong affectionate relationships to spouses, children, parents, co-workers, neighbors and friends." William Pollack (Real Boys, Rescuing Our Sons From The Myths of Boyhood - now out of print) We don't ask much, do we! Pollack offers tips for mothers on how to stay close to their boys and at the same time prepare them for the real world awaiting them. Latest book :Real Boys Workbook A unique, instructive workbook filled with advice, exercises and stories to help parents, professionals and boys themselves understand boys-and how to make life with them better.     Use short-term goals for boys     Boys often respond well to short-term goals. It can be difficult to motivate boys - for example, a request to 'improve spelling' or 'improve your guitar playing' has little impact. It is more effective to keep boys focused on short-term objectives such as getting a certain weekly score in spelling or practising for a concert that is coming up. Teach them how to set daily or weekly goals in the many areas of their lives and then remind them to check if they have reached them. Reaching a short-term goal is a tremendous motivator for anyone! Having reached a goal then it is important to reset and refocus on the next goal. from the Michael Grose Ideas StoreRoom     Reading Champions     For its first occasional theme, the National Reading Campaign is focusing on projects targeted at reluctant male readers of all ages. Research has shown that many boys start reading quite keenly but stop once other interests intervene. The idea behind Reading Champions is to find ways of promoting positive role models - not just well-known names who may be champions in their own fields, but fathers, grandfathers, uncles, godfathers, brothers or other men who take an interest in reading both for themselves and for their own or other people’s children.     Discussion Board about Boys, Girls and Literacy at The National Literacy Trust and Reading Campaign     Help us help more mums! Tell a friend about Motherwise UK One woman's experience of bringing up a boy Under achievers...and proud Listlessness, mood-swings, inability to concentrate - the boys are achieving their targets... Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom By a former headteacher. An extraordinary guide to enhancing the experience of learning, and releasing the potential of students Are schools biased against boys? asks this article. What do you think? Tell us on The Motherwise Forum We've discovered Redwall! Redwall has all the ingredients in a story that a boy wants, but tempered with kindness and heroism - even the fights are intelligent and clever rather than violent. Great even for the most sensitive child. Highly recommended for ALL ages (adults fans too) The original Redwall story in a gorgeous special anniversary edition Also available in paperback, on video as a full-length feature film or as a series of shorter films PLUS on audio tape, too. The Great Redwall Feast Enchanting illustrations and poetry. Great as a bedtime story. Good book to introduce Redwall and see how your younger child responds. Tomorrow's Men Three UK research projects undertaken in association with The Centre for Research into Parenting & Children, at the University of Oxford. Leading Lads What Sons Say (A resource for parents) Young Men Speak Out Understanding attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts (available on the Samaricans website) Plus new book Stop Hitting Mum Anorexia Often thought of as purely a girl's issue, this also affects many boys. The Ophelia Project has begun to include this issue and has a reading list. See also our new page on Raising Girls CALM 0800 585858 (5pm – 3am every day) Helpline for young men who are depressed or suicidal

Text © Sue Wentworth-Sheilds MSc MInstD FRSA
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